The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Rheumatology Researchers Explore Role of Neutrophils in Autoimmunity

Rheumatology Researchers Explore Role of Neutrophils in Autoimmunity

January 19, 2016 • By Susan Bernstein

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF
Gary Carlson/ScienceSource.com

Image Credit: Gary Carlson/ScienceSource.com
Activated neutrophils.

SAN FRANCISCO—To unravel the mysteries of how autoimmunity begins in the body and, one day, to interrupt that process, rheumatology researchers are exploring the role of neutrophils, especially when they form and release neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs).

You Might Also Like
  • Aggregated Neutrophils Limit Inflammation
  • Neutrophil Extracellular Traps & Their Role in Autoimmunity
  • 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Researchers Explore Role of Pathogens, Quality of Care in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Explore This Issue
January 2016
Also By This Author
  • Nonsurgical Therapies for Knee OA Pain: From Medications to Bracing to Exercise, What Works & What Doesn’t

At a panel discussion on Nov. 6, 2015, held at the American College of Rheumatology’s Basic Research Conference, the precursor to the 2015 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting, three speakers explored the emerging importance of studying the role of NETs in autoimmunity in such diseases as systemic lupus erythematosus, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Neutrophils are a first-line defense system against infectious agents. When they release chromatin and granular proteins to form NETs, they can trap and destroy pathogens as a last line of defense against disease. However, neutrophils and NETs may also play a role in the induction of the autoimmune response, a connection that is not yet fully understood, the panelists said.

Neutrophils and their cell death, called NETosis, play a role in lupus pathogenesis, said Mariana J. Kaplan, MD, chief of the Systemic Autoimmunity Branch at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) in Bethesda, Md.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Low-density granulocytes (LDGs), a subset of neutrophils, are present in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells in samples from lupus patients. “Neutrophils are the main source of type-1 interferon in lupus bone marrow,” she said. “They are prematurely released from marrow due to some stimuli, although we don’t yet know what.”

LDGs express high levels of the antigen CD-15, have a great ability to synthesize type-1 interferon, and are thought to play a role in SLE pathogenesis and organ damage, she said.

“We hypothesize that LDGs may play important pathogenic roles in lupus due to their enhanced pro-inflammatory phenotype, increased capacity to form NETs and damage the endothelium,” Dr. Kaplan said in a follow-up interview.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Although most lupus patients show an enhanced ability to form NETs, about one-third have an impaired ability to clear NETs from their blood. “This imbalance may promote enhanced exposure of modified auto-antigens that could promote autoimmune responses,” she said. NETs amplify type-1 interferon responses and activate complement in these patients, she said. NETs are also a strong activator of macrophages and can exacerbate inflammatory responses in the periphery or affected organs.

Lupus LDG NETs are enriched in oxidized, interferogenic, mitochondrial DNA, Dr. Kaplan said. “Not all NETs are created equal. NETs are quite toxic to vasculature, or vasculopathic. They’re good at killing endothelial cells, and they’re potent inducers of thrombosis.” NETs also oxidize lipoproteins and are proatherogenic, and so may play a role in cardiovascular disease risk for these patients.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 | Single Page

Filed Under: Meeting Reports Tagged With: AC&R, American College of Rheumatology, autoimmunity, conference, neutrophil, Research, rheumatology, therapyIssue: January 2016

You Might Also Like:
  • Aggregated Neutrophils Limit Inflammation
  • Neutrophil Extracellular Traps & Their Role in Autoimmunity
  • 2013 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting: Researchers Explore Role of Pathogens, Quality of Care in Rheumatoid Arthritis
  • Neutrophils & B Cells Create Unique Antibodies in Lupus Patients

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.